Reaching patients on the go: why mobile-compatible websites are a must-have

By Glenn Lombardi

Building a website for viewing on mobile devices has become increasingly important as more and more people are using smartphones to stay connected on the run. More than 75 million people in the United States are using smartphones for everything from making calls, checking email, and browsing the Internet. People are demanding more out of their mobile experience, including speed, accuracy, and accessibility of information available at their fingertips.

Dentists who have a website can benefit greatly by establishing a mobile presence. A mobile-compatible website allows for a more meaningful, mobile Internet experience for patients, and allows dentists to reach a growing demographic of tech-savvy patients who have substituted much of their computer-based Web business with their mobile devices. Websites that aren’t optimized for smartphones are difficult and frustrating to browse. Annoyed visitors may end up leaving your website for a more mobile-friendly site.

Due to a mobile phone’s small size and slower speeds, many images, videos, and flash content that would normally appear and perform fine on a computer need to be modified for clear viewing on a mobile device. This is a complex process that involves decreasing image size, improving performance speed, and recreating the look and feel of your website in a mobile-compatible format that integrates seamlessly with your existing site. Seeking the assistance of a dental Internet marketing company can help you quickly create a mobile version of your website that will make it much easier for your patients to browse your site.

Once your site is mobile-ready, visitors will be able to easily and instantly navigate the content of your site on a cell phone, including mobile-specific features such as instant click-to-call, mapping functions, email, and appointment requesting. Patients will have the information they want, the way they prefer viewing it.

Bottom line: Ensuring your website is readily accessible for viewing on mobile devices will give your practice the competitive edge, expanding your reach to patients anywhere, anytime. If your website doesn’t look and perform sufficiently on a smartphone, visitors will move on to one that does.

Author bio
Glenn Lombardi is president of Officite, LLC, the number one provider of websites and Internet presence management strategies for the dental community. Officite has built more than 6,000 websites that have generated over 325,000 appointment requests since 2002. To learn more, visit www.officite.com or call (800) 908-2483.